


Friendly Stranger

by minahbirdie (mrina)



Category: Kumkum Bhagya, hindi serials, zee tv
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance, marriage in recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-19 13:39:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2390360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrina/pseuds/minahbirdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daadi asks Abhi to take Pragya to dinner, but his idea of fun does not include sharing a meal with the Chashmish. What happens when he sees someone else taking the chance to enjoy Pragya's company?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendly Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at india-forums under the username -mina-. No infringement intended to any copyright holders; no profit is made from this work.

"Is there anything sadder than a beautiful woman sitting alone at a restaurant?"

Pragya looked up, startled to find a stranger addressing her. "Excuse me?"

The stranger slid into the seat across from her. "You don't mind if I join you, do you? You look like you have interesting things to say, and I'd like to hear them."

_What?_ Pragya thought in disbelief. Part of her couldn't believe that this was actually happening to her, but mostly she was trying not to laugh at his cheesy lines. _He's not for real._

The man was a foreigner, with fair skin and reddish hair. He spoke with a Scottish accent that would've been charming if he wasn't being annoying and intrusive. He was young and fit, and dressed with casual luxury.

"Sorry if I'm being rude. It's just that I noticed you from the bar, and you've been waiting for someone for ages. If he's not here yet, he's not going to show."

"Oh, he's here." Pragya said involuntarily, her eyes straying across the restaurant to Abhi and Tanu's table.

The stranger followed her gaze. "Them? But they've been here almost as long as you have," he said, sounding bemused.

Pragya looked back at him. "Who are you again? Why do you care?"

"Call me Aidan. And I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing dinner with me, since I'm a stranger to this city."

Pragya frowned. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. Please leave my table."

Aidan spread his hands in a gesture of peace. "Ok, I know it wasn't quite proper of me to just come sit here. But please, could we start over? We're two strangers alone here this evening, why not share a meal and some conversation?

"That's it? That's all you want?" Pragya looked him over again. Aside from his boldness in coming up to her, he looked like a normal and decent sort of guy. Nothing about him screamed "unstable maniac" or "violent offender," and her instincts said the man was not dangerous.

"Yes. Just to eat in your company, and to know the story behind your sad eyes," Aidan said with a lopsided smile that made him look like a goofy teenager.

Pragya decided to trust her intuition. She laughed and said "OK, fine, but you have to stop with these ridiculous lines!"

Aidan grinned. "So you think I'm funny, do you? You've just made my night."

Pragya laughed again, and then pushed her menu towards him. "If you're going to eat, you should pick something to order."

 

***

On the other side of the restaurant, Abhi and Tanu were sitting in an open booth with their backs to the wall. They had a sweeping view of the whole restaurant, but mostly Abhi had been looking at his food while half-listening to Tanu's comments and complaints. He happened to look up as a waiter passed their table, and his eyes suddenly fell on Pragya.

 

She was finally eating. Abhi had wondered how long she would sit there, pretending to look at the menu. She had already been waiting 20 minutes when he'd arrived with Tanu. He'd met her eyes once as they walked in the door, and then he'd very carefully ignored her while taking a seat and ordering his meal with Tanu.

He had thought she would come up to them and forcibly sit with them. She would say something like "Even I don't want to be here, but Daadi will ask us about our dinner together." Then she would have to sit there like the annoying third wheel she was while he and Tanu ignored her.

But she hadn't come over, and she hadn't left the restaurant. Instead she had sat there for 20 more minutes, sipping her water and studying the menu, looking at the door expectantly now and then so that the waiters would think she was still waiting for someone.

And now she had finally ordered, and she was eating, as if it didn't matter to her at all that he'd abandoned her -

\- and she was laughing. _Laughing!_ The Chashmish never laughed at home, but here she was out in a restaurant, eating and laughing with - with a stranger.

For the first time, Abhi registered the presence of the man sharing Pragya's table. He had been so focussed on her that he hadn't even realized she was with someone else.

_Someone else_.

Something started bubbling in Abhi's blood. He felt hot and agitated, and thought maybe the restaurant food was giving him indigestion.

"Abhi? Abhi, are you listening to me?"

Tanu's insistent voice knocked Abhi out of his trance. He glanced at her. "Do you see the Chashmish?" he demanded.

"Do I see - what the hell Abhi, why are you looking at her? You're here with me, na!" She tugged at his arm.

Abhi shook her off, returning his intent gaze to Pragya and her surprise companion. "Do you see that? The girl is shameless, just sitting there having dinner with another man, right in front of her husband."

"Who cares?" Tanu huffed impatiently. "So she found another victim for her wiles, good for her! We're here to have a good time, remember? You promised me, Abhi!"

"Promised! _She_ promised Daadi that _we_ would have a nice dinner together. And I've been sitting here all this time and she didn't bother to come up. And now she's sitting there enjoying herself with some...some bloody tourist!"

"Abhi! Abhi, look at me right now." Tanu grabbed his face and turned him towards her. "She doesn't matter. You're here with _me_. Just take her home when we're done and you can truthfully tell Daadi you both ate here."

Abhi frowned and pulled away from her. "What truthfully? The truth is she's over there eating with some complete stranger, and I have to sit here and watch!"

"Abhi, you don't have to watch," Tanu started to explain, trying to be patient.

Abhi glanced at her, his eyes widening as he had a sudden thought. "You're right," he said, sliding away from her. "I don't have to watch." He got out of the booth and strode across the restaurant, leaving Tanu to watch him in speechless anger.

***

Aidan had been explaining his travels to Pragya as they finished their appetizers. "So I have to say, the most impressive thing I've seen in Mumbai - aside from your smile --"

"Aidan!" Pragya raised her eyebrows at him, reminding him for the fifth time that he should drop his cheesy lines. She laughed and shook her head as he simply smiled back at her and continued.

"--as I was saying, the most-"

"Excuse me, you're in my seat."

 Pragya and Aidan both looked up at Abhi. He stood with his arms crossed, glaring at them both.

 "You must be mistaken, mate," Aidan said cheerfully. "Your seat is across the way."

 " _You_ must be mistaken," Abhi said through gritted teeth. "This is _my wife_. So this is _my_ table."

 "Is she your wife? Then who's that you've been sitting with all this time?" Pragya had briefly explained to Aidan that Abhi's grandmother had asked him to have dinner with her, but he preferred to spend time with his secret girlfriend. She hadn't told him that Abhi was her husband, and now she could hear some disapproval in his carefully light-hearted tone with Abhi.

 "That's none of your business. Now kindly _get lost_ before I have a word with the management." Abhi scowled at Aidan, trying to project the force of his Rockstar personality at the unwanted interloper.

 Pragya was embarrassed by his behaviour. "Abhi! There's no need for this. You go back to Tanu, finish your dinner. We're just --"

 " _We_ are supposed to be having dinner together. You and me. So Mr Carrot Top over here -"

 "Abhi!" Pragya looked anxiously towards Aidan, but he was smiling for some reason.

 "-can _go back where he came from_ , and you and I can have our meal and go home to Daadi. Starting _now_."

 Pragya turned to Aidan with a heavy frown. "Aidan, I am so sorry -"

Aidan cut her off, shaking his head. "It's alright, Pragya. I'm just glad I got to meet you. Thanks for you company." He reached across the table to shake Pragya's hand. Abhi watched with ill-concealed irritation.

"I hope the rest of your trip goes well," Pragya said, smiling apologetically as Aidan rose from his seat.

"Oh, it will. I have the memory of your beautiful eyes, after all." Aidan smirked at Abhi "You've got a special wife here, my friend. You take care of her," he advised.

"I _will_ ," Abhi growled. Then he and Pragya watched as Aidan made his way back to the restaurant's bar.

Abhi glared at Aidan's retreating back. "That..that kaminey! He's not even leaving! How dare he stay here after I told him to get lost? He thinks he can sit there and make eyes at my wife - "

"Abhi, calm down!" Pragya pulled him into Aidan's empty chair. "Don't make a scene. I don't know why you had to do that. Did you even notice that Tanu left?"

Abhi finally looked away from Aidan. "Tanu?" he said blankly, looking at Pragya.

Pragya gestured to Abhi's abandoned table. "No Tanu. She left, see?"

Abhi looked across the restaurant. Tanu was nowhere to be seen, and a waiter was clearing their table.

"Oh, good." Abhi said. He sat back in his chair, running a hand across his face. "She was driving me nuts. She doesn't understand about Daadi," he said. He frowned at Aidan's empty plate in front of him and waved over a waiter.

"Take these away and bring me another of what I was having before. Bring two," he instructed.

The waiter nodded his acceptance and cleared away the appetizer dishes. When he left, Pragya said, "What do you mean bring two? How much are you going to eat?" 

"Arre, the other one's for you! I'm sure it's better than whatever you and Carrot Top ordered anyway. Abhi was back to staring at Aidan, who was now having his dinner at the bar. Abhi couldn't see exactly what he had ordered.

Before Pragya could reply, the waiter reappeared with their food. He was carrying three identical dishes.

"For madam," he said, setting one plate in front of Pragya. "And for sir." He set down the other two in front of Abhi. "Enjoy."

Pragya and Abhi stared at the food and then at each other. "We ordered the same thing," Pragya said wonderingly.

"Well, this is my favourite," Abhi said defensively. He picked up his fork. "And it's actually really good, and now that Tanu is gone and I don't have to worry about you and that Carrot Top, I can enjoy it."

"It's my favourite too," Pragya said. She bit her lip, continuing to stare at Abhi in a preoccupied way.

"Stop that," Abhi snapped. "You're hurting yourself. And I don't know why you're still looking at me."

"Hurting myself?" Pragya asked in surprise.

"Your lip."

"My - oh." Pragya blushed and looked down at her plate. The food smelled great, and after nearly an hour of waiting and drama, she was definitely hungry enough to devour it. She also picked up her fork, and for the next minutes there was silence between them as they both finally got to enjoy their dinner.

Abhi had half cleared his plate when he stopped and cleared his throat. "That Carrot Top is leaving."

Pragya looked up. Aidan met her eyes and waved. She gave him a small wave back and watched him walk out the door. Abhi glared the whole time.

Pragya noticed Abhi's perturbed face. "Uff," she sighed in exasperation. "What's your problem? He was just a friendly stranger, and now he's gone."

"You're not friendly to strangers. I remember," Abhi snapped.

"You remember what?"

"I remember you telling me off for my music in front of a crowd of fans. I remember you ranting about anda bhurji with your face covered in mud. Where was all your kindness for strangers then?"

"Well, you're a special case." Pragya rolled her eyes. "You make it impossible to be nice."

"I do not!" Abhi insisted. His voice was taking on a whining quality. "You just have really bad taste."

"Do I? But here we are having the same favourite for dinner." Pragya bit back a laugh at his aggrieved expression.

"In men. You have really bad taste in men," Abhi said without thinking. Then he wondered why he had brought up _that_ topic and felt his face flush.

Pragya was unaffected. "Yes, tell me about it," she said cryptically. Then she went back to her dinner, avoiding his eyes.

_Whatever, Chashmish_ , Abhi thought as he too turned back to finish his food.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the dialogue was cribbed from _Bet Me_ by Jennifer Crusie (you look like you have interesting things to say, the lip biting bit).
> 
> Daadi is Abhi's paternal grandmother, who raised him single-handedly. She is the closest Pragya has to a mother-in-law.
> 
> "Chashmish" is an affectionate/teasing term for someone who wears glasses. Abhi doesn't think he's using it affectionately.
> 
> "Kaminey" is Hindi for "scoundrel." It has connotations.


End file.
